Korea, Today and Tomorrow

Inter-Korean discussions

The two Koreas have agreed to hold a third summit between President Moon Jae-in and North Korean leader Kim Jong-un in Pyongyang in September.

The two sides reached the agreement on Monday during high-level talks on the northern side of the Panmunjeom border village.

In a joint statement, the two sides said they reviewed the progress in implementing the Panmunjeom Declaration adopted at April’s inter-Korean summit and discussed issues that could facilitate its implementation.

Hours after the announcement, presidential spokesman Kim Eui-kyeom told reporters that holding the summit in early September might be a little difficult when considering the current conditions.

North Korea is preparing for massive celebratory events to mark the 70th anniversary of the founding of the regime on September ninth. Analysts suggest that neither side wants to hold a summit before the North's major holiday.

The two sides are instead reportedly seeking to hold the summit in mid-September, possibly between the eleventh and 14th, in consideration of the UN General Assembly set to open on September 18th.